THIS YEAR'S WRAP - UP WITH SHAKESPEARE: DRAMATIC EFFECTS ON MY STUDENTS AND ... HUMAN BRAIN

Joseph Fiennes - Shakespeare in love

To wrap up this year's lessons on Shakespeare's work, which I had started in October introducing Elizabethan Drama, I decided to involve my students in the controversial question of the authorship.

It's been a long series of lessons about Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, Macbeth, some of the sonnets finally ended with reflections on  the theories opposing Stratfordians to Anti-Stratfordians. My goal was not to instill doubts in their minds but to reflect on the fact that such extraordinarily huge quantity of extraordinary poetry has risen so many doubts in scholars,  also as a consequence to the fact that there are very few traces and evidence  supporting the theory  crediting William Shakespeare from Stratford -  son of a glove-maker later  actor in Elizabethan London -  for its authorship. 

Anonymous 2011

It's been a fascinating theme, which brought about interesting debates,  especially after watching Roland Emmerich's 2011 movie Anonymous with my students. That movie supports an anti-Stratfordian theory: the Oxfordian hypothesis believing that Edward De Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote what we appreciate as Shakesperean masterpieces. 

Whoever wrote them, these works are still unbelievably modern. Proof is how interested even contemporary teenagers are if introduced to those plays without being scared with the complexity of the language. They must be helped and they'll enjoy and appreciate. 

BOOK BLAST - STARSEED BY LIZ GRUDER + GIVEAWAY OF A $50 GIFT CARD

Starseed
Author: Liz Gruder
ISBN: 978-1937178291
Publisher: WiDo Publishing
Published: February 2013

SUMMARY

Kaila Guidry has always known she is different. When she meets Jordyn Stryker at school, she finds out just how different.

Jordyn was born and raised far from Earth, a starseed, one of six new students sent to Louisiana's Bush High to learn human ways. But Jordyn didn't count on meeting someone like Kaila.

When Kaila is pushed to her limit by high school bullying and cruelty, Jordyn awakens her to a new reality—and to love. But to prove herself, Kaila must look the other way as the real purposes of the starseeds unfold.

As the horrific plan behind the starseed visit to Earth moves inexorably forward, Kaila and Jordan, caught in an impossible love, must determine where their true loyalties lie.

BOOK BLAST - TO LOVE OR DIE IN A STEAMY-REAMY WORLD + $100 AMAZON GIFT CARD

10 Tales of Steampunk Silliness and Spookery

In the cozy seaside village of Steamville, New Hampshire, an unfaithful zombie, out of control werebots, succubi in corsets, and more wreak havoc in this short story collection from the author of Elemental.

Purchase

Just .99 cents

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Praise

"Well written and very fast paced. You won’t get bored or find your mind wandering. I’d love to see a sequel to this collection and see what happens next. I give this book five out of five donuts."

MARCH KINDLE FIRE HD GIVEAWAY

Kindle Fire HD Giveaway!

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only) 

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International) Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

Take your chances in the rafflecopter form below

BOOKMARK BLITZ TOUR - EMBRACE THE WILD LAND BY ROSANNE BITTNER

About the book 

Amazon (Book is exclusive to Amazon)

Not only do the developing Indian wars threaten to destroy the family dynasty Zeke and Abbie Monroe have begun to build together, but now the Civil War rears its ugly head to intrude into their lives in wrenching twists and turns that tear Zeke and Abbie apart in ways they never expected. 

The Savage Land is exploding both on the lawless plains and in the South, where Zeke must go to find one of his white brothers. Don’t miss this compelling story of love, choices, dreams and cruel reality wherein only the strongest of love can hold two people together, the kind of love shared by Zeke and Abbie Monroe.

 **************************************

AT THE CINEMA - YOUNG BEAUTIFUL CREATURES LONGING TO BE ... INFINITE

Aging is not always easy. Growing up can, instead,  be hard but exciting and thrilling at the same time. Young people tend to be  full of hope, dreams and possibility.  That's what youth is made of. That rubbish idea  of  "feeling young inside" can't really work nor help when all that is actually  just part of your memories.  Past. Over.

It must sound like I'm not in an enthusiastic mood today, but  that is not the case. I feel grateful I can age surrounded by young people: my sons, my nieces and nephews, my young cousins,  my students, ex-students sticking around. I feel the gap but not suffer from it. I can smell dreams, energy, future and ... find some hope. 

I happen to like young people pretty much and I'm really curious about what they like, think and long for. They are not simply my task, not only my job. They are my life,  people I deeply care for.  I don't know if this is why I often watch films or read books they seem to be fond of or that tell  their stories. Stories of kids or teenagers.  I do that. Quite often. 

For instance, I've seen two movies targeting a teenage audience these days. Both have just been released here in Italy, both are adaptations of successful books: Beautiful Creatures (La sedicesima luna) and Noi siamo infinito (The Perks of Being a Wallflower).

Book Blast - Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud + Giveaway $75 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Max has anger management issues. But she has a secret, too. She can make things happen. Like magic. She almost killed a loser skate punk and nearly used it on her stuck up older sister. The question is, can she do anything other than blow things up? Can she learn to control it? And is it really possible that an obscure teenage girl is the key to keeping all of humanity safe?

Philip just got his ring back. He got it taken away for messing with his teacher’s mind so he can cheat on a test. Now that he has his ring, he thinks he should be able to use his power to make his life better. A lot better. The problem is that people want him to be responsible. But if you could do magic, wouldn’t you use it to escape work in any way possible?

Aaron wants to be a soldier. He knows there are lots of people who would try to take over, and he’s determined to stop them. The problem is that there’s this new girl. And she might be not be on the right side of things. She’s really talented and pretty, but she might be able to destroy everything he believes in. Whatever the case, he knows he needs to learn to be world class with the magic sword while he figures out what to do.

BOOK BLAST - DEATH & KISSES + GIVEAWAY OF A $100 AMAZON GIFT CARD OR PAYPAL CASH

Death and Kisses

“My only thought was for Aden. I ran to him, kicking up water and called out his name. He turned and my heart skidded, crumbled and dropped to my feet. Not Aden, but Brad. Then where was . . ? 

I looked down to where Brad’s gaze had been focused, down, down, in the murky water towards the center of the pond. No. Noooo! I shouldn’t be able to see him through the stirred-up sediment, but I did. Pascual was drowning Aden just as he had drowned Brad.”

One night changed Kasey’s life forever. The star football player drowned and everyone at school blames her. And oh, yeah, since that night, she can see ghosts. Not that she’s afraid of them. Much. She’s more concerned with staying under the radar as the school’s once-popular, now outcast loner freak. Until the boy she supposedly killed shows up wanting revenge.

PERIOD DETECTIVES - COPPER AND RIPPER STREET

Just have a look at the two DVD covers up here and you'll immediately notice the similarities. They stroke me while recently watching Ripper Street, the successful BBC1 series starring Matthew Mac Fadyen. I had finished watching BBC America Copper on Fox Crime (one of our pay tv satellite channels) not long before.
Tough,  fascinating,  torn between their duties and tragic, painful personal experiences,  the two protagonists are police detectives fighting crime,  respectively in New York and in London,   in the 19th century. Their love for justice, their frailty hidden under a tough surface,  as well as their charming looks can get under your skin.

BBC THE PARADISE SERIES 2 - WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO DENISE & MORAY?

Emun Elliott and Joanna Vanderham as Moray and Denise - Series 1

You know I really loved this series, more than Downton Abbey and - though I am enjoying watching it at present- more than Mr Selfridge. It is because I got to really care for Denise and her Mr Moray. While I actually have no favourites in Downton Abbey or Mr Selfridge.

Denise and Moray. We left them like this (see the picture above) at the end of series 1 of The Paradise. 

Denise and Moray in seventh heaven, ready to defy the entire world, well, especially the Glendennings who we knew were waiting for John Moray at church for his wedding with Katherine. 

That final gratification seemed rushed to me and I had a strange feeling: it was too  soon,  too  weird after the long scene in which Denise tried to convince John that he couldn't renounce everything for her because  he would lose what he had fought for, he would risk not only his own future but also that of the many people working for him.